Asaram case: Investigating officer transferred to Ajmer

Self-styled-godman-Asaram-was-denied-bail-on-Tuesday-AFP-File-Photo

In a recent reshuffle of the Rajasthan police services officers, Chanchal Mishra, the investigating officer of the sexual assault case against self-styled godman Asaram, has been shifted to Ajmer after his tussle with local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kailash Bhansali.

The MLA's family members had a scuffle with the police during the state assembly elections on December 1 last year, and the BJP workers had staged a protest near Shastri Nagar police station demanding removal of police officials involved in the incident.

The police, however, removed two police officials immediately, but Bhansali was adamant to remove inspector Khalil Ahmed and assistant commissioner of police (west) Mishra. He had met the director general of police twice and had also written to the chief minister demanding Mishra’s transfer.

Some civil society groups opposed the MLA's move and held a demonstration before the Jodhpur police commissioner in January.

But now, during the reshuffle drive undertaken by the state government, inspector Ahmed and ACP Mishra have been shown the way out. The DGP shifted Mishra to Kekdi in Ajmer district in a transfer list released on Monday.

However, Mishra termed the transfer as routine and said that she wanted to move from Jodhpur as her tenure in the city was about to be complete.

Mishra, who not only arrested Asaram from his Indore ashram on September 1 last year, also made the sexual assault case against the godman foolproof after a detailed investigation. She played a vital role in preparing a strong charge-sheet against Asaram while imposing some harsh sections of the amended criminal act introduced after the infamous Delhi gang-rape case.